"It's no trouble. It's what we should do. Right, Dad?" Ge Zian tossed the question to Ge Long'an, who was sipping tea nearby.
"Of course. Xuan'er is a member of our Ge family. It's perfectly fine for her to command our Ge family's army!" Ge Long'an replied loudly.
"Godfather, if you don't say a word, no one will think you're mute."
Wei Shuxuan looked at Ge Long'an with a beaming smile. Seeing the fire burning in Wei Shuxuan's eyes, Ge Long'an obediently shut his mouth and said no more.
Xin Zizhao received a message from Wei Shuxuan by carrier pigeon, saying that she would set off from Baolan Town in a couple of days and return. He originally planned to send someone to pick her up, but Wei Shuxuan wrote in the letter that there was no need, saying that Zian would dispatch the Ge family's army to escort her back in person. She told him not to worry and not to do anything unnecessary.
However, with the Ge family's army protecting Wei Shuxuan, he was quite relieved, so he gave up the idea of sending someone to pick her up. He locked the letter in a brocade box in the drawer and called Xin Shang. "Xin Shang, make preparations. Xuan'er is about to return to the palace."
"Yes, my lord."
When it was time to part in Baolan Town, Wei Shuxuan looked at Ge Long'an, who was holding her hand, helplessly. "Godfather, stop fooling around. I really have to go."
"Dad, you should let go. With our Ge family's army protecting Xuan'er, she won't encounter any trouble on the way. Don't worry so much."
"I just can't bear to part with my daughter!" Ge Long'an retorted.
Ignoring the drama - queen Ge Long'an, Wei Shuxuan turned to look at Wei Wei and repeatedly admonished him, "Wei Wei, you must be extremely careful when you infiltrate. Do you understand? I think they should mostly trust the old members. It'll be quicker for you to get their inside information if you go in after changing your appearance."
"Your subordinate understands, Miss."
"Alright, it's time for me to go. Goodbye, everyone!" Wei Shuxuan waved at them and then got into the carriage.
After a rather long journey, Wei Shuxuan finally reached the vicinity of the capital. In Baiyang Town, they decided to rest for one night and set off early the next morning. After all, the capital was just around the corner.
Xin Zizhao learned that Wei Shuxuan had arrived in Baiyang Town. That very night, he rode his horse to look for her. It only took one or two hours to travel from the capital to Baiyang Town. If he rode at full gallop, he could basically arrive within an hour.
Wei Shuxuan was sitting in her inn room, deep in thought. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door opening. She was a bit drowsy, looking like a sapling swayed by the wind, nodding off from time to time but then quickly regaining her composure. As soon as she heard the sound, in a hazy state, she seemed to see Xin Zizhao's face, and gentle whispers seemed to be lingering in her ears.
"Xuan'er, Xuan'er..." It wasn't until the voice gradually became clear that Wei Shuxuan finally woke up. She looked up and saw Xin Zizhao standing beside her. Seeing that Wei Shuxuan had finally woken up, Xin Zizhao couldn't help but be overjoyed. "Xuan'er, you're finally awake?"
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and stretched lazily. "Xin Zizhao, why are you here?"
"Because I wanted to see you."
The gentle and eager words echoed in her ears. Before Wei Shuxuan even had time to blush, she was embraced by the travel - weary Xin Zizhao. The expression on Wei Shuxuan's face softened, and she reached out to hug Xin Zizhao back.
After the two had been intimate for a while, Xin Zizhao took off his dusty outer robe and lay down beside Wei Shuxuan. "Xuan'er, ever since I came back, I've been worried about you all the time, afraid that you might encounter danger in Baolan Town."
"You're really overthinking..." Wei Shuxuan chuckled. "It'll be fine. I have Wei Wei and Zian with me."
"I still can't feel at ease if you're not under my watch."
Xin Zizhao turned around and let Wei Shuxuan rest in his arms. Through this seemingly gentle embrace, Wei Shuxuan could feel the profound love emanating from him.
"Silly boy, go to sleep quickly. We'll return to the palace early tomorrow morning."
"Okay. I'll do as you say."
Back in the palace, Xin Zizhao and Wei Shuxuan held hands and rode in a carriage back to Fenghe Hall. Chief Eunuch Li was extremely delighted to see Wei Shuxuan back. "Empress, you're finally back! This old servant has missed you so much!"
"Hahaha, I didn't expect that just after I went out for a while, you all have become so sweet - tongued." Wei Shuxuan was also very happy to see the familiar faces in Fenghe Hall again.
Just as they were still in high spirits, suddenly they heard someone shouting outside, "His Highness, the Eleventh Prince, has arrived!"
Wei Shuxuan was stunned. She had just returned not long ago, and she wasn't fully prepared to face the changed Sima Yongheng so soon!
"Don't worry."
Feeling Xin Zizhao tightly holding her hand, Wei Shuxuan glanced at him slightly and nodded. The uneasiness in her heart quickly dissipated.
A handsome and slender young man in luxurious clothes walked in from outside. Wei Shuxuan thought that Sima Yongheng seemed to have grown taller after not seeing him for a while. She stared into his eyes, but the look in them seemed to have changed...
"The Eleventh Prince pays his respects to the Empress!"
"Please rise, Your Highness!" Wei Shuxuan said to Sima Yongheng, now Xin Yeheng, with a beaming smile.
"Yes!" When Xin Yeheng saw Wei Shuxuan, a glimmer of light flashed in his once - empty eyes.
"Your Highness, the Eleventh Prince, why don't you come in and sit in Fenghe Hall for a while? I'll ask Chief Eunuch Li to prepare some pastries for you." Wei Shuxuan looked at Chief Eunuch Li. "Chief Eunuch Li, go and prepare some pastries that His Highness, the Eleventh Prince, likes."
"Yes, this old servant will go and prepare them right away!"
Then, Wei Shuxuan looked at Xin Yeheng with a smile. "Your Highness, the Eleventh Prince, let's go in and sit down. How about we have a chat?"
"Okay."
Xin Yeheng walked in, followed by several maids and eunuchs. Xin Zizhao was dissatisfied with Wei Shuxuan's attitude towards Xin Yeheng. "Why did you invite him in?"
"Don't tell me you're still jealous of Yongheng? I've already said that I regard Yongheng as my younger brother. Don't overthink it. Moreover, don't you think there's something wrong with Yongheng now?"
"... You want to test him?" Xin Zizhao immediately understood what Wei Shuxuan meant.
"Of course. I think he's changed a great deal this time. He's completely different from the former Sima Yongheng. I want to know what exactly happened to him during the time he disappeared."
Wei Shuxuan keenly sensed that something was amiss with Xin Yeheng, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.